DALIT CHRISTIANS DEMADS

DALIT CHRISTIAN DEMANDS

Dalit Christians are fighting for their legitimate rights and privileges provided for the Dalits by the Constitution of India. As Dalits, these Christians belong to the ancient indigenous people of the land, yet they have to struggle for their basic right to live as human beings.

EQUALITY IN STATE AND SOCIETY

As a step towards equality, the Constitution of India has provided the Dalits with compensatory discrimination or affirmative action, but since 1950 the Government of India has deprived Christian Dalits of such rights. So most Dalit Christians are economically poor, educationally backward, politically powerless and socially outcaste. For this reason the Dalit Christians demand that the Indian Government restore their legitmate rights and cease to discriminate against them on grounds of religion.

Inclusion in the Scheduled Castes

Dalit Christians should be accorded the same reservation and welfare benefits that are granted to the Scheduled Castes professing the Hindu, Sikh, and Neo-Buddhist religions under the Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order 1950 as, amended in 1956 and 1990. The Dalit Christians should be given the Scheduled Caste status and privileges so that they can enjoy the same political rights and socio-economic benefits as all other Scheduled Castes.

Definition of the Scheduled Caste

The expression 'Scheduled Castes' was used for those people who were kept outside the fourfold Varna (caste) system, and were called Avarnas (casteless). They were called by different names such as: Chandalas, Panchamas or Untouchables. The term "Scheduled Caste" was used by the British Government to designate all castes and classes previously covered under the term "Depressed Classes". Officially this word was embodied in Section 305 of the Government of India Act, 1935, . Later the expression was included in the Government of India (Scheduled Castes) Order, 1936.

The Indian Constitution, Article 366

"Scheduled Caste" means such castes, races or tribes or parts of or groups within such castes, races or tribes as are deemed under article 341 to be Scheduled Castes for the purposes of this Constitution.

The Indian Constitution, on the basis of its Article 341 (1) only empowers the President of india to specify the castes, races or tribes or parts or groups within castes that can be deemed to be Scheduled Castes. It is then the role of Parliament to make law concerning the groups thus designated .

Article 341, Scheduled Castes

The President may with respect to any State or Union territory, and where it is a State, after consultation with the Governor thereof, by public notification, specify the castes, races or tribes or parts of or groups within castes, races or tribes which shall for the purposes of this Constitution be deemed to be Scheduled Castes in relation to that State or Union territory, as the case may be.

In 1950, while exercising the powers conferred on him in Article 341 (1), the President of India promulgated an order known as The Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order, 1950. This Order of 1950 continued to use the same list used in the Government of India (Schedled Castes) Order of 1936. The third paragraph of the 1950 Order reads:-

Notwithstanding anything contained in paragraph 2, no person who professes a religion different from Hindu shall be deemed to be a member of a Scheduled Caste.

This third Paragraph was amended in 1956 and in 1990 in favor of Sikh and Buddhist Dalits.

AMENDMENT OF 1956 IN FAVOR OF DALIT SIKHS

Following agitation by Master Tara Singh, the Constitution (Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes) Orders (Amendment) Act, providing for inclusion of Dalit Sikhs in the list of the Scheduled Castes, was passed in 1956. It said:-

"Notwithstanding anything contained in para 2, no person who professes a religion different from the Hindu or Sikh religion shall be deemed to be a member of a Scheduled Caste."

AMENDMENT OF 1990 IN FAVOR OF DALIT BUDDHISTS

In May 1990, to commemerate the centenary of the birth of Dr. Ambedkar, Prime Minister V.P.Singh brought Dalits who converted to Buddhism into the list of Scheduled Castes . He made representations to Parliament that this change of religion , from Hindu to Buddhist , had not altered their social , economic or educational conditions. The same should be acknowledged in the case of Dalits who become Christians.

"Notwithstanding anything contained in para 2, no person who professes a religion different from the Hindu, the Sikh or the Buddhist religion shall be deemed to be a member of a Scheduled Caste."

Absolute Need for Amendment in Favor of Dalit Christians

Today Dalit Christians are asking only for their fundamental rights. Dalit Christians belong to the same caste and undergo the same age-old torment and oppression as other Dalits.. Dalit Christians live under the same system of oppression, deprived of justice and human dignity.

The economic condition of Dalit converts is in no way different from that of their counterparts - the Dalits who are not converts. Dalit Christians suffer from a high incidence of atrocities and economic and social disabilities owing to the government's reluctance to modify its discriminatory policy on reservation.

Christians feel that this religion-based discrimination is in violation of Article 15 (1) and contravenes the provisions of Article 15 (4) of the Constitution of India. Constitutional principles prohibit discrimination on the grounds of religion, race, caste, sex or place of birth.

At stake is the fate of 19 million Dalit Christians, who form 70% of the Indian Christians. In the whole country, Indian Christians total 25 million. They are not asking for any expansion of the Scheduled Caste list or any increase in the reservation quota. They only want to be included in the present list. This can be done by introducing a new bill in Parliament.

January 04, 2008

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Further, the line of thinking of Church Authorities can be described thus: DCs ought to get proper compensation in lieu of governmental benefits they lost is ‘an unchristian consideration’- this would spoil ‘their Christian motivation’. Thus, it was clear to the Bishops and Church Authorities that any such talk of compensation made to DCs is unheard of biblical remedy. Hence DCs should remain poor and despicable to as proof of their newly accepted ‘superior faith’. Moreover, the secular Indian Government should be taught a lesson or two -especially the lesson that it is the ‘duty and responsibility’ of the Indian Government to make appropriate provisions for DCs? And that ‘we the Bishops’ if needed, are ready to fight tooth and nail to see that the Indian Government implements and practices what is enshrined in the Constitution of India. The Government should be blamed squarely because they care two hoots for the plight of the DC while they are pampering the other Dalits with innumerable concessions all for political gain. And why should Church Authorities and leaders make suitable provisions for their own least brethren was beyond the comprehension of the great Lords of Christendom.

In just four hundred years the Christian population grew in leaps and bounds, the Indian Church’s with the selfless efforts of foreign missionaries added millions to the zero percentage of Christians in India. But no Church Authority ever even noticed that the plight of those numerous DCs remained the same. Nay over the decades it worsened. Hence what was and is the primary intention of the pious missionaries becomes clear. Indian Church Authorities and Leaders merely used DCs in a game of numbers and scarcely gave a passing thought to improve the living conditions of DC. The DCs were never or rather deliberately kept out mainstream Christianity and thus they were unable to experience progress and growth in their Christian living even though they had full membership in the various Churches.

Notice this fact, when it came to the ‘battle of equal rights for all Dalits’ the Indian Church Authorities deemed it fit to wage a battle with the mind of Constitution founders and framers. And the battle did begin as early as or as soon as India gained independence. In their heart of hearts the Church Authorities and Leaders wanted that DCs to be loyal Christians and remain faithful members of their respective Churches and yet when it came to the matter of improvement in the standard of living, all their sound reasoning and superior faith failed them. Even an ‘ordinary statements of the assets’ of the Indian Churches- like enumerating the thousands of Christians Schools , Colleges and large compounds, and thousands of other allied majestic institutions like Hospitals and other social work Institutes will show the might of Indian Church wealth. It is well known that Indian Church Authorities have wealth ‘second to none’ in terms of immovable assets and finances. And note - this second to none is in comparison with the Government of India.

Besides, in the name of DCs and poor, the Church gets flooded with funds both from within country and from abroad. And most ironical- the condition of DCs remains as poor as the proverbial Church mouse. Do all these the funds instantaneously disappear into the incredible mouth of Bishop Pip? (Please view the Documentary-‘In search of self respect’, produced by PSBT and Prasar Bharti. www.synclinefilms.com. The Mighty Indian Churches have conveniently divided India and with the magical wand of the Pope and other Church Authorities, have created around 250 to 300 dioceses in the country in order to smoothly run and manage their vast properties and institutions. A diocese may have average around fifty thousand followers. Based on their own methods of mission management: aren’t the Indian Church Authorities and Leaders responsible for the sorry state of affair of DCs? Why is the Indian Church constantly harping on the same old tune that Indian secularism is at stake when they themselves like Pilate constantly wash off their hands regarding a sound and just policy of justice for their least brethren- the Dalit Christians( DC)?.

Why are the Church Authorities forcing our Parliamentarians to debate on the scheduled caste status of DCs? It is for all to see who has a hidden agenda. It is for the Church Authorities to honestly provide a ‘white paper’ on their fabulous wealth and what have they done to alleviate the sufferings of the least of their brethren- the Dalit Christians.

To all Indian Bishops

The open letter is now addressed to the Presidents of the Catholic Bishop’s Conference of India, of the National Council for Churches in India, Church of South India, Anglicans, Methodists, CNI, and all Bishops of all Christian Denominations.

Most Rt. Rev. Bishops,

Happy Christmas and New Year,

Over the last several decades, the Catholic Bishops Conference of India, National Council for Churches in India, all the Protestant Churches and all the Christian foreign funding agencies were and are trying their best to amend the legislation of inclusion in Scheduled Caste status for Dalit Christians. You had several ‘ high level meetings and conferences at National and International level; and you were seen frantically appointing the best legal luminaries to see that DC are included in the list of scheduled caste thus securing a new heaven and a new earth for DCs.

It was reported in the newspapers that your Grace and Lordship have graciously come down to the earth in New Delhi- the National Capital on November 29th 2007. You staged a Dharna for inclusion of DCs into Scheduled Caste status. When your Grace and Lordship, and predecessors converted Dalits from the Hindu society, the main attractions offered to them was that there was no caste discrimination in the Christian society and that they would be treated equally as brothers in Christ. It was with this hope of an ‘egalitarian status’ within the Christian community that the poor Dalits converted themselves to Christianity. If they are still Dalits the question is who has been oppressing them of late, it is true that when they were in the Hindu society they were oppressed by caste system that existed in that society. But was it not a solemn pledge before God and man that these converted Christians would be looked after without any discrimination and with Christian love and sharing?

There is an answer to this question. Obviously, it is the Church Authorities and Leaders who are exploiting the DCs. If only the Church Authorities can spend twenty five per cent of the Church income for the welfare of DCs, surely there will be a great change in the lives of DCs. If only the Church Authorities can give fifty percent of employment in their institutions to the DCs we believe that within ten years, all the DCs will have employment. But alas- the Church Authorities only gives all employment to and give important posts to the priests, nuns etc. Notice that you are creating fatted calves and bestowing on them privileges upon privileges to merely a small class of clergy and superior Christians.

You are seeing the speck in the eyes of Constitution founders and framers but fail to see the mote in your own eyes? For centuries the Church Authorities are merely filling up the barns for a minuscular clergy and pampering them into a parasitical life, while you ignore the cries and agonies of the discriminated DCs. For these very poor, Jesus has said, “The spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has chosen me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captive’s recovery of sight to the blind, to set free the oppressed and announce that the year of remission, reward and restoration. Confer, Luke Chapter 4; 16-19.”

Poor Christian Liberation Movement appeals to the Church Authorities and solemnly asks these questions. Why after converting DCs into the Christian fold you have constantly denied and deprived them of proper education facilities, of just employment, and generous financial support? And why do you not give proper Christian respect for DCs? Why do you not offer equal rights to DCs in the Church life? Why are you constantly using DCs as pawns to show the might of your own Empire and missionary prowess? Why hasn’t the Christian sense of giving compensation to DCs never even once crossed the minds of the all powerful and wealthy Church Authorities? Why are you playing the role of going around the devils ring by leaving DCs to the mercy of Indian Government? Why are you not fulfilling your responsibility toward DCs? You must remember the solemn words spoken to Peter Simon. Jesus said to Peter Simon: “If you love me then take care of my lambs and sheep (St John 21:15-17) .And even St. Paul emphatically said this of himself: that he was imprisoned, that he was beaten many times, faced difficulties, was in odd situations, worked hard, spent sleepless nights, many times without food and water, and besides other things, I am under daily pressure because of my anxiety for all the congregations. Who is weak and I am not weak? (2 Corinthians Ch 11: 23-29). Can all the Bishops honestly say that they have fulfilled their responsibility towards Dalit Christians?

May the all the respected Bishop dare to say- YES. Amen.

Thank you.

Yours in Christ,

R.L. Francis

National President

And all Executive Members of PCLM